Fort Bend GOP asks candidate to return $10K

Commissioner hopeful accused of voting twice in same elections

Updated 8:50 pm, Thursday, October 18, 2012

The Fort Bend County Republican Party said Bruce J. Fleming has refused to return a campaign donation.

The Fort Bend County Republican Party said Bruce J. Fleming has refused to return a campaign donation.

Fort Bend GOP asks candidate to return $10K

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The Fort Bend County Republican Party asked for its campaign contribution back and withdrew its support from a county commissioner candidate who allegedly has voted in two different states in the same general elections dating back to 2006.

"At the time, he indicated he was still a candidate and needed to hit the campaign trail," Gibson said.

Fleming, in his first race for public office, is a Sugar Land resident who claims to be a 20-year resident of Texas while owning a home in Pennsylvania. Records indicate that he first registered to vote in Bucks County, Pa., in 1992.

He first voted in Fort Bend County in the 2006 general election and voted absentee that same year in Bucks County. In 2008, he voted in person in the Democratic primary in Fort Bend County, absentee in the general election in Bucks County and in person in the general election in Fort Bend County. In 2010, he voted absentee in the general election in Bucks County and voted early in Fort Bend County in both the primary and general election.

The party's action against Fleming "was the result of a loss of trust in the candidate," Gibson said. "It is the party's firm belief that its candidates should hold and exhibit certain ethical standards. One of those is the sanctity of the vote."

Fleming, 60, offered no explanation when asked last week about his voting record and did not return phone calls after the action against him by the Fort Bend County Republican Party.

According to the Texas Election Code, knowingly voting or attempting to vote more than once in an election was a third-degree felony until the Texas Legislature upgraded the offense to a second-degree felony in 2011.

The allegations against Fleming have been referred to Fort Bend District Attorney John Healey. Fleming's name will remain on the ballot along with his Democratic opponent, incumbent Richard Morrison.